Wrench.



I'. L.'wALsH.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7. Isls.

Patentedl Jan. 25, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0., WASHINCITBN. D. C.

it rJ prima TOI-IN L. WALSH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 THOMAS J.

CONLEY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WRENCH.

Specication of Letters Patent.

rammed aan. e5, iaie.

Application tiled September 7, 1915. Serial No. 49,150.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. l/VALsI-I, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to wrenches, and more particularly to that type of wrenches wherein thev movable jaw is capable of being adjusted to place against the object to be gripped, and clamped in place thereon by the hand holding the wrench,

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a positive grip between' the movable jaw and handle in t. quick adjusting wrench -that is to say, in a wrench having a movable jaw which may be freely slid along the handle when unclutched therefrom.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of this specification and, with all of said objects and advantages invie'w, this invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

rl`he invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken out, cf a wrench embodying a simple form of the present invention, showing the movable jaw unclutchcd from the handle; Fig. f2 is a side elevation of the wrench, partly broken away, showing the movable jaw.

Fig. 3 is a vertical clutched to the handle; cross section taken or. the 4line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the locking lever.

Referring to said drawing, 10 designates the handle, and 11 the fixed jaw of a wrench embodying the present inention, said xed jaw and handle being made integral, if desired. Slidably mounted on said handle is the movable jaw 12e! the wrench; said movable jan has a lengthwise extending opening 12l formed therein, through which the handle extends. as is common and well known in wrenches of this class. One edge of the handle 10, isformed with a series of teeth or serrations 13, and lying adjacent said edge is a gripping member 14, here shown as comprising a metal block or bar having teeth 15a formed in the edge adjacent the handle, said toothed bar being l0- cated in a recessed portion 12b of the movable jaw. The teeth of the handle 10 and gripping member 14, are capable of interlocking to prevent relative lengthwise movement between the two and therewith relative lengthwise movement between the movable jaw and handle The gripping member 14, is held in the movable jaw against movement in a lengthwise direction with respect theretoby the end faces 15, 16, of the recess or hollow portion 12b of the movable jaw.

When the movable jaw is unclutched from the' handle, the gripping member 14 may ride freely upon the toothed edge `of the handle, whenever the movable jaw is slid back and forth thereon, and when the wrench is held in the position shown in the drawing, said gripping member 14, when unclutched, is free toinove lengthwise of the handle and out of contact therewith, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1, so that, regardless of the position or direction in which the wrench is held, the movable jaw, when unclutched from the handle, is free to be adjusted along the same.

, For clutching the gripping member 14 to the handle 10, I provide a locking lever 17, which has a handle or finger-piece 18 projecting out beyond the rear of the movable jaw, in convenient position to be manipu` lated by the fingers or thumb of the hand holding the wrench. Said lever 17,7has a head-piece 19, lying in the same place as the handle 10 and gripping member 14 and of substantially the same thickness, and said head-piece is loosely fulcrumed in the recess or hollow portion of the movable jaw. Preferably said head 19, is elliptical in form, its major axis extending about at right angles to the handle or linger-piece 18. The curved ends 20, 21, of said head are arranged to contact with and bear against the face 22, of gripping` member 14 and surface 23 of the recess 12b in the movable jaw, and Vwhenever the locking lever is swung from its inactive position (see Fig. 1) to its active position (see Fig. 2), said major axis of said head is moved from an oblique position to one approximately at right angles to the handle and gripping member, thereby forcing said gripping member into firm contact with the handle 10, with the teeth of the two in interlocked engagement. Said lever 17 rocks or turns upon the face 23, of the recess, and has a wedging action against the gripping member 14, whereby said-gripinfr member is ressed into Ori 3 aine' contact t5 D D with the wrench handle, thehead of the locking member being wedged tightly between tlie faces 22, 23, of the gripping member and movable jaw. For connecting the lever with the movable jaw, I provide a pin 2st, shown as iixedly secured in the side walls 12C, of the movable jaw and extending therebetween, said pin 2l, passing through an elongated slot 25, formed'in the heard 19 alcng its major axis. #lt is to be observed that in'said pinvand slot connection, the pin does fnot comediii Contact with either end of said slot 25, in theactiveor inactive'positions of the lever; consequentiy,there is no strainy on the pin or pressure thereon when the wedging action of the' headtakes place. Therefore, there is little danger, if any', of

the in wearine awa or bendin0l out of shape. Y

In use, Athe handle is grasped in one hand andthe movable jaw may be adjusted to place by a finger or the thumb ofthe same hand,the locking Vlever being kept in its inactive position during such adjustment of the movable jaw. Vhen properly adjusted to grip the nut, bolt or other object firmly between the jaws, the handle 18 is swung toward the wrench handle, thereby turning the head 19 until its major axis extends approximately at i'iglit angles to the wrench handlef'As the head 19 turns from its inactive to the active position, the longer end of the head forces the gripping member against the toothed edge of the wrench handie, they teeth of the gripping member Y f' interlocking with those of the wrench handle. The teeth are preferably spaced close together, so that the various positions of adjustment ofthe movable jaw with respect tothe fixed jaw are very close. It is to be noted that with the use of sharp teeth having oblique sides, the gripping member and movable jaw may be forced forward, if the teeth thereof, in coming into engagement with the teeth of the wrenchV handle, strike the sides of the teeth which incline toward the fixed head. 1t is also to be observed that 'not only is the movable-jaw wedged tightly `upon the handle, when the locking lever is `dle said Uri 3 infr member acts asa shoulder 7 bk D on the handle against which abuts the face 15 of the recess 121 in the movable jaw, whereby said movable jaw is positively prevented froin backward movement while the gripping member is kept in interlocked condition with tlie wrench handle.

More or less variation of the exact details of ccnstruction is possible without departing from the spiiit of this invention; I desire, therefore, not to limit myself to the exact foim of the invention shown and described, but intend in the following claims to point out all of the invention disclosed herein.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A wrench, comprising a handle having a iixed jaw en one end, a movable jaw, coacting with said fixed jaw and slidably mounted on said handle, a gripping block movably secured in a recess in said movable jaw, said handle and gripping member have ing teeth adapted to interlock with each other, and a locking lever having an elongated head loosely pivoted in said recess and bodily movable therein along its major axis, said lever having a handle projecting out therefrom, said head lying Jetween said gripping bai' and a face of said recess, and its elongated portion being adapted to engage the gripping bar andsaid face of the recess, and acting to force the toothed bar into interlocked vcondition with the wrench handle when the locking lever is moved to its locking position.

2. A wrench, comprising a handle having a fixed jaw on one end, a movable jaw coacting with said fixed jaw and slidably mounted on said handle, a gripping bar loosely secured in a recess in said movable j aw, with its ends abutting against end faces of said recess, said handle and gripping bar having teeth adapted to interlock, a` locking lever having an elliptical head located in said recess between said gripping bar and a face of said recess, and having also a handle projecting out beyond said recess, and a pin and slot connection between said movable jaw and lever for loosely connecting the two, said locking lever being eapable of movement from an inactive position to an active position, wedging the gripping bar into interlooked condition with the` wrench handle.

JOHN L. VALSH.

pies of this patent maybe obtained for ve cents each. by addressing the :Commissioner of Patente.

Washington, D. C. f 

